“He testified and exhorted them, saying, ‘Be saved from this perverse generation.’” Acts 2:40
There is a new wave of thinking about the kind of message a preacher should preach and the kind of feeling a church-goer should leave with after a service. Many in church circles today believe that a weekly sermon should be positive, affirming, supportive and enjoyable. They believe in a come-as-you-are, leave-as-you-please, casual and relaxed atmosphere in a church. The popular view is “this is not your grandfather’s church.” It should be fun, cool and totally relevant to the twenty-first century culture. It all sounds well and good, but when I open my bible and look at the pattern for preaching and church gatherings, I don’t see fun and cool. I see something very different. Take a look at the words of Paul in Acts 20:29-31 (KJV) “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also, of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember.”
Neither did Paul mince words when it came to church discipline. He decried a blatant case of incest in Corinth. “When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 5:1-5 (NIV). He especially wanted to keep the church informed about the world and resistant to any temptation to be deceived and entangled in it. He warned about perilous times, about deceivers and about strong delusions. When you preach like that, you don’t have people leaving the service in a jocular, light-hearted manner. Yes, we have the joy of the Lord, but we also walk circumspectly in this world. What does that mean? It means we know that this world is teetering on the brink of global disaster, the likes of which we have never seen. So, why should preachers help people rearrange the chairs on the deck of the Titanic when they should be helping them to get into the lifeboats? A worst-case scenario means that everything that could go wrong, has gone wrong. This is the human perspective. From God’s perspective, everything is going right!
Sexual immorality must be condemned. “Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.” 1 Corinthians 6:18. Greed must be challenged with warnings against money and materialism. “But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.” 1 Timothy 6:9 (KJV). “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.” Revelation 3:15-16.
We must not ignore Bible prophecy. The rise of the antichrist must be proclaimed. “That day shall not come, except … that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.” 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12 (KJV). The mark of the beast must be preached. “He causes all … to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark.” Revelation 13:16-17. People need to hear about the rapture of the church. “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout … Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. Preachers who don’t preach about these cataclysmic events mislead the sheep; God will hold them accountable. Worst case scenarios aren’t feel good sermons, but truth trumps feelings!